ATREUS, a'-b-ens, a son of Pelops by Hip podamia, daughter of King CEnomaus of Pisa, was king of Mycenm, and brother of Pittheus, Trcezen, Thyestes, and Chrysippus. Hippo damia advised Atreus and Thyestes murder the illegitimate Chrysippus, and, on their re fusal, did it herself ; but Atreus and Thyestes were suspected by Pelops, and fled. Atreus went to his uncle, King Eurystheus of .Argos, whom he succeeded, and whose daughter (Aertipe) he married, and by her he had Plis the'nes, Agamemnon, and Menelaus ; but ac cording to some, Aertlpe was the wife of Plis thenes, to whom she had born Agamemnon and Menelaus (the A &Vex), who are the reputed sons of Atreus, from being reared by him. Thyestes came to Argos, but from his incest with Aertipe was banished, then recalled, and fearfully punished by Atreus, who invited him to a sumptuous feast, at which the flesh of the children Thyestes had had by his sister-in-law the queen was served up, and their arms and heads produced after the feast to convince him.
Thyestes at once fled to the court of Thespra tus, and thence to Sicyon, where, in the grove of Minerva, he offered violence to his own daughter Pelopea, without knowing her ; but, according to others, intentionally, to fulfil the oracle that he should be avenged by a son by his daughter. The son born was lEgisthps (q. v.), who was adopted by Atreus on his soon after marrying Pelopea, and sent by him to Delphi to murder Thyestes, but he recognized his father and returned to assassinate Atreus. ATRIDES, d-trr.-des, any descendant of Atreus, but esp. Agamemnon or Menelaus. ATROPATIA, at-riVtie-i-a, the N.W. part of Media.